Connections
by RaiLei
Summary: It was always there in the back of his mind, something was missing. It would appear periodically, throwing him off track as it tried to break though, reminding him that there was something - someone - else waiting for him.


He didn't remember much about the old days, the _peaceful_ days.

Life before the Heartless appeared in Hollow Bastion was becoming hard to remember anymore.

They had spent so much of their teenage years watching their backs, the sole survivors of the attack.

In the early days, every moment was spent trying to survive to see the next day, outrunning the darkness. How many places did they see the darkness overtake, swarming out of the shadows, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake?

Somewhere along the line, their small group of survivors were separated by the darkness in a surprise attack, the creatures from the darkness appearing between them, driving them apart. It was a tough decision, consciously deciding to leave them alone with the darkness . . . that was the last time they saw Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart. The Gummi Ship taking off, the two teens back-to-back, weapons drawn, outnumbered and surrounded, glancing up at the retreating ship.

It wasn't until they reached Traverse Town and found Merlin – the sole survivor of a place called Camelot – who had studied the moving darkness, his World having been consumed years prior, that they stopped running.

They found out that the omnipresent darkness was a creature called the _Heartless_ , feeding on people's hearts; however, it was unknown where they had originated from, but were on a path to destroy everything they came in contact with.

While Traverse Town was far from their idea of home; the town seemed stuck under a cloud of despair, a majority of the townspeople having stumbled upon the small town when they had nowhere else to turn.

They had never expected to see Hallow Bastion again; the _City of Light_ had been one of the first causalities. Much like many of the other worlds, its heart had died and faded away. All that would remain was the despair, the darkness, and the ruins of a once-great metropolis.

But, Sora managed to break though, the darkness using the husk of the World as their stronghold.

"Hallow Bastion still exists," Yuffie mumbled, shaking her head at the words, Sora sitting across the table from her. "It's not . . ." It seemed too good to be true, that ten years later, Hallow Bastion still existed. "We need to go home."

Aeris frowned, but said nothing; no doubt she was thinking of the moment Cloud and Tifa got left behind.

"It's not our home anymore," Leon said, his voice final as he glanced out the kitchen window, a pack of Soldier heartless marching past. "Hallow Bastion is –"

"It _**is**_ our home!" Yuffie shouted, slamming her fist into the table as she stood up, her chair scrapping across the floor. "We've been stranded here for a decade – I want to go home. Just because of Rinoa –"

"Yuffie!" Aeris cut in with a shout, cringing as the front door slammed shut behind Leon. "You don't . . . you were only six when Hallow Bastion fell . . ."

"It doesn't matter," Yuffie grumbled, falling back into her chair, arms crossed over her chest. "I want to go home. Just because Squall wasn't able to save her in time –"

"He knew your father had gone into town for work," Aeris mumbled, pushing her chair in. "Instead of heading directly to her house, which was halfway across the city, when the chaos started . . . he thought of the six year old home alone next door. We all lost someone that day." Aeris finished, a finality in her voice as she picked up her Fairy Tale Rod, opening the front door to find Leon.

Squall had lost Rinoa that day.

Aeris had lost Cloud and Tifa weeks later.

Cid never spoke about Shera, leaving the fate of the brunette a mystery.

After many lengthy conversations regarding the choices in front of them – remaining in Traverse Town or returning to Hollow Bastion – they eventually decided to leave the gloomy city. The residents of Traverse Town were sad to see the _heroes_ go; the four constantly trying to keep the Heartless at bay.

They met outside of Cid's repair shop, a _'Closed'_ sign having been hung on the door, the lights off, the bits and pieces of left over machinery already packed away on Cid's newest Gummi model – the Sierra. To their surprise, Merlin had arrived with Aeris, a blue suitcase in his hand. "Merlin's coming with us," Aeris said, catching Leon's eye as he raised an eyebrow. "He think he'll be able to help us restore Hollow Bastion."

It had been known that Merlin was trying to research where the Heartless had come from, what they were after, and how to restore the lost Worlds. That was why the magician had created his study in the dark cavern of the third district, allowing him to think in peace. He had agreed to take on Sora, training the Keyblade Wielder in the art of magic in exchange for knowledge about the Heartless that he fought on a daily basis.

Leon nodded; no doubt the magician would learn more about the Heartless in the remains of Hollow Bastion then in his Traverse Town Study. Much like their escapes in the past, their Gummi Ship was constantly assaulted from the heartless's ships the moment they left Traverse Town, the frequency increasing as they neared their lost world.

"Shit, we're landing now," Cid swore, the indicator screens in front of him flashing as the Gummi Ship rocked back and forth in a barrage of bullets from the heartless. "We ain't dyin' here." He grumbled, pressing multiple buttons, preparing for a sudden landing.

Yuffie stretched her limbs, a crystalized waterfall surrounding them. "Not exactly your best landing, Cid," she grumbled, casting a glance over her shoulder at the blonde pilot as he inspected the damage.

"Can't be helped," he muttered, lighting a cigarette as he turned away from the Gummi Ship. "That last barrage destroyed ninety percent of the wing – we were goin' down one way or another."

Yuffie frowned, turning away from the Gummi Ship wreckage, the old run-down Castle from when Hollow Bastion was split in two loomed overhead. "Sora's in there, huh?"

Leon nodded, his gunblade in hand. "No doubt the enemy's in the highest tower –"

"Then, we need to give him a hand!" Yuffie cut in, reaching for the kunai she kept tucked in her knee-socks. "Why should he have all the fun?"

Aeris grinned, her Fairy Tale Rod in hand. "You'll have to hurry then, Yuffie. Sora's got a good head start on you, there might not be any tough enemies left for you."

"Wait – no way! SORA!" Yuffie shouted, as if the brunette would hear her. "That's not fair!"

Aeris let out a small laugh as Yuffie started forward, her eyes intent on the looming castle. "Just let her be," she added, catching Leon's eye. "She doesn't know the way to the castle; she'll have to wait for us to catch up."

The small band of _heroes_ (as Traverse Town referred to them) made their way through the winding corridors and elevators, a majority of the straight forward paths collapsed due to neglect. With weapons drawn, they reached the Castle Chapel, flames burning blue in every pedestal, casting an eerie look over the open foyer.

"This must be where Sora fought Ansem," Aeris whispered, running a hand over a scorched railing, following Leon and Yuffie up the stairs to the raised platform. Rusted pipes lined the walls, darkness pooling out from between them, making the three clench their weapons tightly, eyes narrowed – it had been too long without a heartless attacking them.

As if he'd heard his name, Sora appeared, stumbling out of the darkness, Donald and Goofy behind him, exclaiming that he'd finally succeeded in locking the Hollow Bastion keyhole.

However, that was the last time that they saw Sora – the teen heading to the final battle against the darkness. It was a week later that they saw the plethora of shooting stars in the sky, the light momentarily illuminating the empty streets of the Market. "It looks like Sora did it," Aeris grinned, watching the stars pass overhead. "I suppose we won't be seeing him again, huh?"

For a time, they were able to enjoy the peace and quiet as the stars shined overhead, no heartless in sight. The eerie silence of the fallen city seemed to remind the four that they were the only survivors of their families; the four taking up residence in run-down cottage that Cid had claimed had been empty for years before the heartless attack – the four unwilling to visit their homes.

Then, one night Cloud reappeared. Somehow, he had survived the heartless onslaught when he and Tifa had been left behind – although he wouldn't mention what happened to the martial artist, only saying they got separated in a fight. Aeris eventually found out that he had been trapped at the Coliseum, fighting was his way to forget the past.

Time past and slowly more survivors started to arrive in the city, all coming from various corners of the galaxy. Aeris worked on planting flowers to cheer up the residents, the Duck brothers started up their Item Shop, and Yuffie tried to keep track of all the returning residents. Every once and a while, they found themselves looking at the shadows playing across the cement, warily watching for a heartless to emerge – without a doubt, it was a habit that would be hard to shake after all these years.

Two years passed and then they _returned_.

Creeping out of the shadows between the houses, they stalked their prey, relishing in the moment when their claws pierced their target.

The locks separating the Worlds were weakening and the Heartless were growing restless, their quest unfinished.

"This can't be happening again!" Aeris said, following after Leon, her Fairy Tale rod hidden in her closet. "I thought," she shook her head, closing the front door behind her. "What could have happened . . . where's Sora in all this?"

Yuffie raised an eyebrow, looking up from the book she was reading. "Did you guys run a marathon or some – wait . . . why's your Gunblade out, Squall?"

"The Heartless are back," he stated, ignoring the name Yuffie called him.

Their peace was immediately over.

Heartless stalked the streets, preying on individuals who braved the streets.

Once again, Hollow Bastion was gripped by the Heartless, Cid's Sierra model still under repair.

Leon, Yuffie, and Aeris did the best they could, but no matter how many Heartless they fought, more rose up to take their place.

Yuffie pondered at the Heartless's return, her Conformer never far away. Aeris wondered if something had happened to Sora; they had only _just_ thought (remembered) him last week. Leon had said nothing, spending a lot of time at Ansem's run-down Castle, looking through old reports and saved files for clues in a war they couldn't win.

Then, Cid managed to complete the device he'd been working on with Merlin – the DTD; the digital mechanism honing in and attacking those twisted by the darkness.

It wasn't long after the completion of the DTD System that a familiar Gummi Ship landed in an unused section of the city; the trio wandering into the busy Market Square. However, since nothing for the heroes of Hollow Bastion went as planned, a new darkness appeared after Sora's arrival. The white creatures seemed to appear out of nothingness, slipping through the defense protocols of the DTD, its zippered mouth pulling apart moments before claiming another heart.

"What are these things?" Yuffie yelled in frustration, catching her Conformer, her eyes following the slippery character as it avoided her attack. "Get out of here – go home, now!" She added, nodding to the civilian the white creature had been stalking.

"Sora called them the Nobodies," Aeris paused, swinging her Fairy Tale Rod at the creatures circling around her and Yuffie. "They're under the control of those cloaked –"

"That guy in the trenchcoat? The one I saw last week from the Bailey?" Yuffie cursed, throwing her Conformer once again in anger. "I was THIS close!"

Aeris shook her head, shrugging as she called forth a reflective barrier. "I guess so. They've got something to do with the hearts of the Worlds . . . no doubt that's why the seals on the Worlds are weakening so quickly. Both the Heartless and the Nobodies are attacking on all sides . . ."

"If they're on the _same_ side – Hollow Bastion is finished."

Ever since Sora's return to Hollow Bastion months ago, the amount of Nobodies appearing in town had increased. If Yuffie had to venture a guess, she was sure that the amount of Nobodies roaming the streets were outnumbering the Heartless.

Little did Yuffie know that a week later the Heartless and Nobodies would finally clash, almost resulting in the destruction of Hollow Bastion. The Heartless swarmed the Crystalized Mountains, destroying the Bailey, the main barrier separating the Market Square from Villain's Vale.

As the Heartless and Nobodies slithered through the shadows, stalking their victims, Merlin attempted to create a barrier to expel the creatures from the Square, while everyone else drew their weapons. The black-cloaked figures made an appearance, creating additional havoc with their mind-games and well-placed words.

After the havoc created by the destruction the relentless Heartless and Nobody attacks dealt to Hollow Bastion – things started to spiral out of control once again.

Yuffie swore she saw Maleficent's crow circling over the Market Square, losing sight of it in a back alley.

Merlin detected an emerging darkness, situated in the general direction of Villain's Vale.

Cloud became distant after hearing Merlin's proclamation, disappearing for hours at a time.

Tifa Lockheart had mysteriously returned too, Cid had seen her in the Square one day; although she maintained aloof, disappearing whenever she saw them.

Leon had found a room off of Ansem's Study, spending a majority of his time pouring over the research books. It could be days before he returned to Merlin's House, opting to sleep in the Control Room.

Aeris would visit the Castle if Leon failed to return home after 24 hours, usually finding the warrior asleep at Ansem's desk, the desktop littered with Ansem's old research books.

Out of habit, she would check out the Control Room, checking up on Tron and the data space – until the day she was locked out, the MCP having wrestled control away from Tron.

"Good thing you didn't bring Yuffie with you," Leon grumbled, looking over the Control Panel, the warning siren wailing to life every time to tried to override the MCP. "I can only imagine how she'd try to fix this . . ."

"Hey! I heard my name – how dare you talk about me behind my back!" Yuffie's voice sounded, echoing through the corridor, moments before the teen rounded the corner. "But, we'll come back to that! We've got a major problem – Sephiroth's back! Cloud grumbled something about sensing Sephiroth and headed towards the Crystalized Mountains. And . . . I actually saw Tifa too . . . I don't think she saw me though . . . she kept mumbling about how she had to settle the score with –"

"Wait here for Sora," Leon interjected, unconsciously reaching for his Gunblade at the mention of Sephiroth.

Leon's mind spun as he left Ansem's Study, his mind running in multiple directions.

Tifa wandered the streets, looking for something she couldn't find, avoiding them.

The Heartless and Nobodies littered the streets, stalking their prey.

The hooded figures – Organization XIII – made veiled threats, creating havoc in seconds.

The MCP had taken control away from Tron, trapping Sora in the data space as well.

Maleficient was back; the witch having returned during the chaos of the Invasion.

And now . . . Sephiroth was back; the General of the Military who went rogue in the final days of –

Leon shook his head, pausing as he reached the Postern, his eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness.

No, it wasn't Sephiroth . . . there was someone else.

It was a woman shrouded in mystery, her true identity unknown due to her ability of possession.

Leon shook his head, frowning, heading for the winding path leading to the Bailey.

There wasn't anyone in Hallow Bastion with that power; the only wizard in the city was Merlin.

Leon moved with ease, paying little attention to the Heartless that lurking in the corners, slicing through them with his Gunblade, his thoughts miles away.

He reached the Bailey in no time, holstering his Gunblade as he noticed Cloud, the silent blonde staring in the direction of Villain's Vale.

Before he could say anything, a pillar of light appeared, one after another. Leon raised an eyebrow, reaching for the hilt of his Gunblade. His eyes narrowed as the six pillars collided with each other, the light particles raining down on the remains of the City.

It was that moment, warily watching the pillars of light – idly thinking that meant Sora had won, locking the keyhole once more – that it hit him.

"That's right . . . I remember now."

He frowned, ignoring the quick look Cloud shot in his direction.

The city wasn't _Hallow Bastion_ – it used to be known as the City of Light: Radiant Garden.

He shook his head, how had they _forgotten_ the true name of the City?

When did it change from Radiant Garden to Hallow Bastion . . .?

"But, was it always _Radiant_ Garden?" Leon mumbled to himself, running a hand over his face, briefly noticing Cloud had left, the blonde Soldier intent on the rumor Sephiroth was in town.

It was hazy, but another Garden came to mind, the memories fragmented.

A hyper-active girl who had a tendency to trip over almost everything . . .

The teacher's aide who oversaw their studies, pushing them to be their very best . . .

The blonde who had a craving for hot dogs . . .

The cowboy Casanova who had all the girls falling at his feet . . .

There were others too, the memories of them still foggy, but he remembered one thing.

Radiant Garden didn't sound right.

It was a different Garden – it wasn't Radiant.

Was it military?

# # #

A/N: While playing through this scene in Final Mix – this idea came to mind. I've been working on it off and on since summer as I wrote out the ending first and then had to backtrack to connect my thoughts with the ending I wanted.

My knowledge on Final Fantasy 8 is tiny; I've only played through the game once back in 2005, and it's the only FF game I have never been able to beat. Not sure what it was about this particular game, but I had a hard time getting into it and never really found the motivation to restart the game and try again.

This story follows in the same genre/crossover that "Forgotten" and "Remembrance" did; although those followed the path of Cloud and Tifa.


End file.
